The former British champion believes the division lacks the depth and star power seen during the Froch, Ward and Calzaghe years
Former British champion Paul Smith believes today’s super middleweight division falls well below the standard set by previous generations. Speaking to talkSPORT Boxing, Smith pointed to the depth of talent during his era and questioned whether many current contenders would be recognized by the average boxing fan.
“I’d completely agree with you there, Simon,” said Smith to talkSport Boxing. “I’ve said that for the past couple of years on a lot of interviews I’ve done. If you go on BoxRec and look at the top 10, some of the top 10 super middleweights in there have not even had 10 fights yet. If I were to name seven of them to an average boxing fan, they won’t have a clue who they are.”
Paul said the contrast becomes even clearer when compared to the division during his own career, when world-level competition included fighters such as Ward and Arthur Abraham, while the Super Six tournament featured many of the sport’s elite names.
“When we’re talking about the British scene, I was British champion. Not once did I ever say I’m the best fighter in Britain,” said Smith. “Carl Froch was number one, George Groves was number two, James DeGale was number three, and I was number four. They were all either world champions or knocking on the door for world titles.”
Others on the panel argued that today’s champions are talented but lack the personalities and name recognition of previous generations. Current titleholders include Christian Mbilli, Hamzah Sheeraz, and Osleys Iglesias, while contenders such as Jaime Munguia, Diego Pacheco, and Lester Martinez are also climbing the rankings.
The discussion comes at a time when the division is entering a new phase following Terence Crawford’s victory over Canelo Alvarez, a result that split the major titles among several fighters and created new opportunities at the top of the weight class.
